You know, I’m not too familiar with Nectar Ales. When I think of Paso Robles, I tend to think wine. It’s definitely not a place I’d expect to find an exceptional brewery. I’m not quite ready to crown Nectar Ales exceptional, but that is only because I’ve yet to sample more than one of their beers. My introduction to Nectar Ales was through Black Xantus, a coffee infused, barrel aged imperial stout.

And yes, the Black Xantus is delicious. The initial burst of coffee flavor, provided by the infusion of espresso from Jobella Coffee Roasters, starts things off right. Then the flavor progresses to more chocolatey notes with just a hint of something I initially couldn’t identify but later realized was black cherry. It all blended wonderfully for a delightful time in my mouth.

But let’s take a step back from how tasty Black Xantus is and instead give some serious props to Kat Greene of Ramble Kat Ramble. When researching Black Xantus, I learned that Kat made cupcakes from Black Xantus! OMG, yo. I think she deserves a Nobel Prize for that. Good work, Kat. Your contributions to humanity will truly enlighten generations to come.